How the culture of busyness is hurting your fundraising
I just did something that truly terrifies me.
It’s something I set as a BIG goal for myself this year.
I actually broke out in a cold sweat before I hit the “submit” button…
…when I signed up for a week-long silent meditation retreat.
Even though I’m an introvert, the idea of being with my own thoughts with no distractions for 7 days is…unnerving, to say the least!
Because stepping back from the busyness to reflect on what matters the most is SCARY.
This experience inspired the question I want to ask you today:
What are you hiding from by buying into the culture of busyness?
It’s often easier to stay mindlessly busy in our work, than to take a moment to pause and reflect on what matters the most right now.
This shows up in our fundraising as well.
When we need to raise more money, we have a tendency to pile on more and more short term tactics, rather than taking the time to slow down and understand what will have the greatest impact over the long run.
I recognize that this can be challenging, especially if your organization has a toxic culture of performative busyness (like so many nonprofits do).
If you are in a leadership role, you can have a huge impact by role modeling - you can set the norm in so many ways, even by taking a pause, leaving on time, and properly unplugging during your vacation.
And even if you don’t feel you are in a position to challenge the larger culture of busyness at your organization, you can still make a difference.
No one but you is going to know if you take 20 minutes to reflect.
Press pause, and take a moment to celebrate your wins (however big or small).
Tune in to your body, and how you are feeling right now.
Go for a walk - and just be present instead of plugging in to another podcast (ok, I’ll admit, I’m a work in progress on this one!)
Because magic can happen when you step away from the busyness.
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